Bust uplift



April 18, 1933. MAY 1,904,644

BUST UPLIFT Filed Jan. 18, 1932 Patented Apr. 18, 1933 1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE:

ARIEL M. LE MAY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, a'10 S. H. CAMP & COMPANY, OF JACKSON, MICHIGAN, A. CORPORATION OF vMICHIGAN BUST UPLIFT Application filed January 18, 1932. Serial No. 587,322.

This invention relates to an improvement in bust uplifts and has for one of its objects to provide the requisite uplifting support to be given to the bust to elevate breasts, which are abnormally lowered due to weakened and torn muscles and tissues, to a. normal position.

A primary object of this invention is to lift and support sagging breasts in a normal position Without relying upon compression upon the breasts as is usual in bust supports or uplifts.

Another object of this invention is to provide a bust uplift garment constructed with pockets or shelves into which each breast is placed; the pockets or shelves being so secured and supported in the garment that the breasts are supported in a sling-like manner from opposite shoulders.

A further object of this invention is to provide a bust uplift having pockets or shelves for the breast in which the elevation of the breast is effected by a primary and secondary adjustment.

With these and other objects which will appear as the description proceeds, this invention resides in the combination and arrangement of elements hereinafter described and set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing wherein two preferred embodiments of my invention are set forth Fig. 1 is an elevation of my improved bust uplift portion in substantially a single plane as viewed from the outside.

Fig. 2 is an elevation of my improved bust uplift portion in substantially a single plane as viewed from the inside.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross sectional view takenon the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a partial view similar to Fig. 1 of a slightly modified strap structure. According to the present invention as shown in the drawing, there is provided a bust uplift garment generally designated by reference character 1 which may be con structed of the usual fabrics employed in garments of this class. preferred embodiment certain" portions of the garment are constructed of net to provide flexibility and thus greater comfort a part thereof are breast supporting and covering portions generally designated Z-and" 3, consisting of upper breast coveringpor tions 4 and 5, preferably of net for the sake of flexibility but which may be of a -closely woven fabric if desired. The portions 4 and 5 may be'secured in the garment 1 ina well known manner but are preferably seamed along lines'6 and 7 which are reenforced by binding tape 6' and 7' as shown. in Fig. 2. Seamed to the upper portions 4 and 5 along lines 8 and 8 and to the garment 1 along seam line 7 and stitch line 9 are lower breast covering portions 10 "and 11 preferably of a more closely woven material than the portions 4 and 5 and constituting a link in the sling-like supportingj structure to be hereinafter described. In

my preferred embodiment the net constituting portions 4: and 5 is extended down and forms a net lining for the portions 10 and 11. As shown in the drawing the breast conform covering portions are fashioned to to the shape of the breast.

Secured in the garment outer sides and along stitch line 13 to a portions 15 and 16. The shelves or pockets 15 and 16 are of a depth suflicient to support the entire lower side of the breast and the edges of the shelves or pockets are fashioned Although in my disclosed and 1 along the stitch line 8 0n the lower side, extending along seam lines 7 to points designated 12 on'the' 185" point designated 14 are shelves or pocket to conform to the lower base line of the breast to avoid chafing or binding. In Fig. 3 the location of the shelf when in a breast supporting position is clearly shown. It has been found desirable to construct the shelves 15 and 16 slightly oversize prior to laundering in order that the subsequent shrinkage during laundering will not reduce the depth of the shelves to the extent that thebreasts will slip past the shelves and not be supported thereby.

Constituting another link in the slinglike support to be hereinafter described are strap members 17 and 18 secured in the garment 1 by stitches along the stitch line 9 and the seam line 13'. The straps l7 and 18 extend from the central portion of the garment 1 to the front shoulder strap portions 19 and 20, respectively, and are adjustably secured thereto by buttons 21 located in reenforced areas 23 of the straps 19' and 20'. A plurality of button holes 22 as shown in Fig. 1 is provided in the straps I7 and l8 which permits the straps 17 and 18 to be raised and lowered relative to the shoulder strap portions '19 and 20. As the garment-1 isof such construction that the shoulder straps do not shift on the shoulder after the garment 1 is secured to the body, in "view of the-straps 17 and 18 being secured to-the base line of the breast supporting portions 2 and 3 of the garment 1, it is pos sible to give the breast what I choose to call a secondary lifting adjustment, as will be more-fully explained, by buttoning the straps 17 and 18 to the button 21 secured in the shoulder straps 19 and 20 after the ment- 1- is fitted to the body and the breasts have" been given what I choose to call a primary lifting adjustment movement, as

' are secured along seam lines 6 formed with respectively. The band portion 24 is perlocated in the respective portions thus prowill be more fully explained.

Side and back band portions 24 and 25 the back. shoulder strap portions 26 and 27,

manently secured to the breast supporting portion '2 along seam line 7, While the portion 25 is detachably secured. to the breast supporting portions 3 by hooks and eyes 28 Vidin'gan opening 29 in the garment 1 to permit the same to be fitted to the body.

The outer edges of the band portions and 25' are" reenforced as shown at 80, and have secured therein a plurality of metallic eyelets 31 to accommodate draw stringadjusti ng' means 32 preferably of the type shownin Patent No. 1,506,248 granted August 26, 1924. The draw strings which pass through the-eyelets 31 of one band portion are threaded through stopping and guidingtape loops 36 stitched to the opposite-band portion-and are looped through fastening :hooks 34 which are adapted to engage with spaced eyelets 35 in the garment Altho I have described a specific type of draw string adjusting means, my invention is not limited to any particular means for giving the garment a drawing up action but resides in the employment of any of the several commonly employed garment adjustment means which would be self suggesting to those skilled in the art as being capable of producing my so call-ed primary lifting adjustment to be hereinafter more fully described. 4

The front and rear shoulder strap portions 19, 20, 26 and 27 are fashioned into narrow bands at the upper portions thereof and may have anelastic insert diagrammatically shown at 37.

The operation of my improved bust uplift as follows: With the opening 29 unhooked from the hooks 28 and the hooks 34 freed from the eyelets 35, the right arm and head are passed through the right shoulder strap opening and the central opening. of

the garment 1, respectively. The opening- 29 is then closed by securing the hooks and eyes 28. Vith the garment 1 thus loosely fitted to the body, the breasts are placed in the shelves 15 and 16 and the bust is given a primary upward adjustment by draw-- ing forward and securing in the eyelets 35 the fastening hooks 34, which has here before been positioned against the stop and guiding tapes 83. 34 forward lifts the breast, rather than merely compressing them for the reason that the band portions, 24 and 25 are constructed at such an angle in thegarment 1 relative to the breast supporting portions 2 and 3 that when the garment 1 'is loosely fitted to the body the back base line of the garment is located above the front base. line; this construction resulting in a drawing up action, in a plane acute to the horizontal, having a horizontal component which holds the base line of the garment snugly against the body without substantial compression of the breasts which are freely supported and containing within the flexible fashioned breast supporting portions 2 and 8 positioned about the baseline, and a vertical component which gives the breasts a primary uplift.

After the breasts have been given a. primary uplift by the drawing up action of the draw strings 81, the breasts are given a secondary upward adjustment by buttoning the straps 17" and 18 secured to the base line of the garment to their respective shoulder straps; the extent that the straps 17 and 18 are buttoned up onto the portions 19 and 20 of the garment 1 being governed by the amount of lifting required, after the The drawing of the hooks primary adjustment, to raise the breasts to a normal comfortable osition. It will be apparent that by li ting the breast through a primary and secondary upward adjustment of the above described type that a substantially equal portion of the lifting action is supported by the front and rear shoulder strap portions with the result that the garment with the breasts in a proper uplifted position is in equilibrium and will not shift upon the shoulders.

As will be apparent from Fig. 1, with straps 17 and 18 buttoned to the reenforced portions 23 of the shoulder strap portions 19 and 20, the portion of the strain due to the lifting of the breasts which is supported by the shoulder strap portions 19 and 20, is transmitted through the straps 17 and 18 secured to the base line of the breast supporting shelves 15 and 16; With this type of structure there is no strain upon the breast covering portions 4 and 5 and the tendency to distort the fashioned breast covering portions 4 and 5 and thus compress the breasts is eliminated.

One of the most important features of my improved garment resides in the sling- F' like structure which supports each breast sling together.

supporting shelf and results in each breast being lifted and supported in a manner very similar to that which is usually employed for a fractured forearm. As seen in Figs. 1 and 2, the shelf 15, for example, is supported in a sling-like structure consisting of the shoulder strap portion 19, the strap 17 the base line of the portion 11, band portion 25, and the shoulder strap portion 26; the draw strings 32 tying the ends of the The shelf 16 is supported in a similar manner.

In Fig. 4 is shown a slightly modified front adjustment and stress supporting strap structure which closely approaches crossed slings in appearance.

In the modified embodiment of my invention, the lower breast covering portions 38 and 39 correspond substantially to the portions 10 and 11 of Fig. 1, respectively. To provide straps corresponding to straps 17 and 18, the portions 38 and 39 are extended to form straps 40 and 41, respectively, crossing in the front of the garment and adapted to be secured to button 42 positioned in the front shoulder strap portion. The fabric constituting the portions 38 and 89 is stitched in the garment up to the points designated 43, the remaining extent of the fabric constituting the straps 40 and 41 being free from the breast covering portions of the garment.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that I have provided an improved bust uplift garment which consists of a pair of shelves which are fitted to the body of the garment wearer. in I a position to lift and support the breasts by two independent adjustment-s. Futhermore, I have provided a supporting shelf fora breastwhich is supported in; a

sling-like structure, whichenables asagging breast when lifted to a normal position to be firmly supported without distortioni or com pression.-v

Having thus described my invention it will be seen that changes and modifications may be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, but what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A bust uplift garment comprising rear portions, shoulder straps, breast covering portions, supporting straps secured to the lower edge of said breast covering portions and extending diagonally across the same, a pair of breast supporting shelves each suspended in said garment, said supporting straps cooperating with said supporting shelves to produce a sling-like breast supporting structure.

2. A bustuplift garment comprising rear portions, shoulder straps, breast covering portions, supporting straps extending diagonally across said covering portions and operatively connected to said shoulder straps and to the lower edge of said breast covering portions, a pair of breast supporting shelves each suspended in said garment, said supporting straps cooperating with said supporting shelves to produce a sling-like breast supporting structure.

3. A bust uplift garment comprising rear portions, shoulder straps, breast covering portions, supporting straps extending diagonally across the outside of said covering portions and operatively connected to said shoulder straps and the lower edge of said breast covering portions, a pair of breast supporting shelves suspended in the inside of said garment, said supportingstraps cooperating with said supporting shelves to produce a sling-like breast supporting structure.

4. A bust uplift garment comprising shoulder straps, breast covering portions having a base line, supporting straps operatively secured to said base line centrally of the garment and extending diagonally across said covering portions to said shoulder straps, breast supporting shelves suspended in said garment along said base line, said supporting straps and shelves cooperating in said garment to produce a sling-like breast supporting structure.

5. A bust uplift garment comprising rear portions, breast covering portions having a base line, breast supporting shelves suspended in said garment along said base line, shoulder strap portions, supporting straps ARIEL LE MAY} signature. 

